The Hope of the Void
by daeyeth
Summary: The young boy Naruto escapes from the hell known as the Void, a dark place where he was born and raised, and must now acclimate himself to the strange outside world. Different world, familiar faces, new destinies.
1. Chapter 1

The Hope of the Void

Chapter 1

* * *

His hand reached out, grasping her fingers, but it was too late. His arm was too short, his strength too little, and she slipped out of his grasp.

"MOM!" he cried out.

She smiled at him, her eyes sad. "Fly Naruto...Fly..."

Tears streamed down his cheeks as he helplessly watched his mother fall down into the bottomless darkness. He watched until only the streams of her red hair were visible. And then there was nothing. She was gone.

He sat there, crouched over the edge of the floating rock, staring down into the Void for a long time. A small kernel of hope wished that somehow, someway, she would catch a slab of land and make her way back to him. She was his mom. She had to come back.

His mother had told him this would happen one day. Over and over again she reminded him. But Naruto didn't listen. His mother was his bastion of light, he couldn't imagine life without her. She was the one pulled him up and saved him time and time again. It was impossible for one so strong to Fall. But it was not strength that survives here. It's luck.

This was the Void, a space of eternal vacuum. Here, everything is sucked downwards into a hole of darkness and one false step will cause you to fall for all eternity. Your only chance is to hope that you catch one of the small pieces of floating land that sparsely occupy the Void. These rocks slightly resist the pull of the Void, descending at a slower rate, and represent the only possibility of survival for the last people of the Nine-Tails Clan. They say that if you climb the rocks at a fast enough pace, you can escape the Void and make it to the outside world. That is the hope. No one quite knew for sure.

Generations upon generations had been born in the Void and all were told the same thing. Fly. Fly to the shining light above and you may escape. Some say it was impossible. Some gave up the Flight and settled for living out a short life out on an oasis, accepting the fact that this place too will eventually descend into darkness.

For most others, they were Nomads. They traveled in small in groups, leaping up from island to island, climbing the Void steadily, slowly, while sustaining themselves on the rare floating oasis. If they're lucky. If you don't die from a Fall, you will die of starvation or thirst.

No one could recall for what reasons were trapped in this never-ending hell. They had been in the Void for far too long and no one could remember. The old died young and the young even younger.

This is what life had been for Naruto, ever since he was born. When he was younger, he and his mom took the Flight with a Nomad group before they had been split up some years back, leaving only the two of them.

And now he had no one. Naruto sat there, enveloped in sadness, clutching his tiny knees to his chest. He wanted to die. He wanted to jump off the rock and fall into the Void, letting death take him.

Then the final words of his mother whispered in his mind. _"Fly Naruto...Fly..."_

Naruto balled up his hand in a fist and a determined look took over his expression. He looked up at the sky of light above of him and glared. He won't die here. He would escape the Void, like his mother had always wanted of them.

* * *

Naruto ascended the empty vacuum of the Void at a steady but quick speed. He ignored the hunger and thirst that welled up within and pushed on with a resolute discipline. It had been some days since his last oasis and every jump became more and more of a struggle. Since the Fall of mother, he had not seen a single person for a very long time. Such was typical of the Void. Once you got separated from a Nomad group, you would never see them again. Good luck finding another person.

As he latched onto the ledge of the tiny floating rock, pulling himself over the edge, Naruto's eyes widened when he looked up.

An vast island was above filled with trees. An oasis! And a big one. The biggest one he'd seen since he'd been a child. It was far, some ways on the other side of the rock on he was on, with only a few pieces of land in between them. It would be difficult but if he could make, he was sure it would be worth it.

Naruto took a deep breath and prepared himself. Then, he leapt. He had to be fast because the rocks were small and began to sink as soon as he landed on them. He flew through the air, making sure his landings were careful, and took one final vault with all his power to edge of the large oasis.

He felt his momentum slowing in the air and his heart rate began to hasten. He didn't know if he would make it. Finally, just as his flight began to reach its end, he flung his hand towards the edge and latched on tightly. The young boy clung on the cliff's edge, hanging there with sweat dripping from his forehead. He looked down into the darkness of the Void. Half a fraction less of strength and that would of been it.

Naruto scaled the side of oasis and looked around. It was even bigger than it had appeared from below. The oasis was filled with a forest of medium sized trees and small plants littered the ground. He took a closer look at the nearby bushes and his eyes lit up. There was fruit on them!

Immediately, Naruto grabbed a handful and began chowing down. Though they were bland and practically tasteless, he savored them nonetheless.

As he ate, the trees rustled from behind him but Naruto was too busy eating to notice.

"Well what do we have here?"

Naruto, his mouth full, whipped around in freight. Before him was an old, bearded man garbed in a robe and holding a cane in one hand.

The robed man smiled at him. "Enjoying my fruits?"

Naruto quickly stood up and said, "Mmphff!"

The old man chuckled. "Take your time, young one."

He chewed for a couple seconds and took a big gulp. "W-Who are you!"

"Isn't it proper etiquette to introduce oneself first?"

"Um..." Naruto scratched the back of his head bashfully, feeling a little shy. It had been years since he had seen anyone other than his mother and he was feeling cautious. "O-Okay I guess...I'm Naruto!"

"Greetings. I am Hitoshi and I am keeper of this oasis."

Naruto looked at him, then at the fruits in his hands, and then back at Hitoshi. Naruto dropped the fruits and put his hands behind his back with embarrassment. "S-Sorry! I was just hungry and I-"

Hitoshi waved him off. "Think nothing of it. I cultivate these fruits for all who take upon the Flight. Come, why don't you bring your fruits with you and follow me to my cottage. There, we can chat in peace."

Naruto nodded. "Okay!"

He followed Hitoshi through the forest and soon they were at an open clearing where Hitoshi's cottage was. The building was small, made of wood, and had a large pool of water beside it.

"Water!" Naruto rushed up to it. He was about to take a drink when he suddenly paused and turned to Hitoshi with beaming eyes. "Can I take a drink?"

The old man nodded. "Of course. Drink as much as you'd like."

"Thanks!"

Naruto shoved his head in the water and began taking in large gulps. After a moment, he pulled out and let out a gasp of pleasure.

Hitoshi smiled again and gestured towards the cabin. "Please, come inside why don't you?"

Naruto was feeling much better now and the man seemed very nice. "Sure!"

The cottage was smaller than it appeared. It was simple, with no adornments. A wooden bed was at one end and in the middle was a table with two chairs.

"Have a seat. It's been a while since my last visitor."

They both sat down and Naruto began eating the fruit that he had taken with him. Hitoshi looked at him with a gentle gaze, not saying anything. Finally, once Naruto was done, Hitoshi spoke up.

"Have you been alone for a while, Naruto?" Hitoshi asked.

Naruto looked down at the ground. "Yeah..."

"I see. I'd ask for how long but, of course, with no day or night, time is rather meaningless here isn't it?"

Naruto nodded and asked, "Are you Settler?"

"Indeed. I have been here for a long time."

Sadness crossed Naruto's face. "Oh...that must mean I'm pretty far down then. I'm never gonna make it to the top..."

The smile on Hitoshi's lips widened. "Actually, I have some good news for you, young one."

"Whazzat?"

"You are very close to the top. Why, it's only a few days of Flight up."

Naruto jumped out of his chair. "WHAT?! NO WAY!"

"That's right."

"But then, how are you so high up if you've been here for a while?" the boy asked with a quirk of his eyebrow.

"Because we are so near the top, I am able stabilize this oasis with ninjutsu and keep it from sinking."

He didn't know what ninjutsu was and didn't care. He trusted the old man. "WOW! I can't believe it! I'm gonna make it!" Naruto's eyes were brimming with tears of happiness. He was astounded beyond believe. After all his years in the Void, he was finally going to escape.

In the midst of the blond haired boy's euphoria, a question suddenly sparked inside his young mind. "Wait, why are you here then? Why don't you leave the Void?"

Hitoshi's eyes took a wistful appearance. "I escaped the Void some time ago in my younger days. I lived out there for a little bit until I couldn't help but come back. You see, I got separated from my wife just days before I escaped. I missed her deeply. So I returned to the Void and took residence in this oasis, hoping one day to see my wife again. But alas, she never came. The chances that I would see her again, even if she had not Fallen, were very small since, after all, the Void is infinitely large. She may have escaped the Void and simply missed my oasis."

Hitoshi sighed. "That was a long time ago though. I'd decided to spend the rest of my life helping others in the Flight and welcome them to the top. It's a rewarding experience that brings me much joy."

Naruto's expression was filled with melancholy at Hitoshi's sad story. "I know how you feel. I lost my mom a while back. I really miss her."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I..." Tears began streaming down his face and this time they were not happy ones. "I don't understand why we we're trapped here." He thought of all the hardships he'd experienced in his young life. "Why are we in the Void to begin with? What did we ever do to deserve this?"

The old man's gaze turned somber and it pained his heart to see one so young have a look of such sorrow. "I understand how you feel. I, too, wish it didn't have to be this way."

"Do you know why we're here?" Naruto asked.

Hitoshi sat there in silence before finally speaking up in a solemn tone. "When I was younger, my father did tell me a story. I don't know if it's true or not but the story goes, the Nine-Tailed Clan was once a powerful alliance of ninjas a long time ago. We were a peaceful people but strong, and the other clans feared our strength. So, one day, they banded together and cast a powerful ninjutsu on our entire city that created a hole in space and time. This hole came to be known as the Void. And ever since then, we have been striving to escape."

A ball anger surged within Naruto. "Who?! Who did this to us?!" He wanted to know. He wanted to know who caused all this suffering, who caused him to lose his mother, and who caused him and his people so many other tragic experiences.

Hitoshi shook his head sadly. "I do not know, young one."

Naruto's fist shook with hatred. One day he would find out.

"Let us speak of such things no longer. Today should be a happy day for you. Please, rest here young Naruto as you prepare yourself for the final leg of the Flight."

* * *

The blackness below had been getting fainter and the light above no longer appeared to be one large luminescence. Instead, it had turned into a small sphere of golden brightness. Naruto took it as a good sign that he was near the top. At last!

"Hey, the rocks! They're not sinking anymore!" Naruto said in surprise. Excitement began to fill him. He quickened his pace. The further he traveled, the more things began to change. Where as deep in the Void, there were no edges, only an endless scene of nothingness, both horizontal and vertical, a wall began to form. The Void was beginning to disappear and take the form of a gigantic chasm. In addition, he could of sworn he saw some birds fly across the sky.

Eagerly, he climbed some more. The cliff ended finally and he could see the edge. Naruto leaped up past it. What he saw next astonished him. Land. Land as far as the eye could see. And there trees, bushes, and animals everywhere! It was like an endless oasis!

Naruto landed on the floor and collapsed to the ground in exhaustion and glee. He laid there, his arms and legs sprawled out, staring at this the strange sphere of light in the sky. He had made it.

'Mom...I did it! I finally did it!' he thought to himself elatedly.

"So that's one of the Nine-Tails Clan eh?" one said.

"Of course it is! He came out of the Chasm to the Void!" said a second.

"I don't like him. He looks weak," said a third.

Three heads appeared in Naruto's vision, covering the sky. The young boy squinted up at them.

"Oi! You!" A foot nudged him. "Get up!"

Confused, Naruto did so and took a better look at the new strangers. They were three youngsters, appearing to be around his age, staring at him. The one who had nudged him was wearing a hooded jacket with fur on the rims. He had slitted eyes and a look of distaste in his expression. The next one was a girl wearing a cap that had bandages across the rim. Her long, red hair flowed out of it with a single, lengthy bang crossing the middle of her face. The last one had his black hair tied back, causing it to jut out in spikes like a pineapple and he gazed at Naruto with a bored expression.

"Uh...hi?" Naruto said with an awkward grin. He had never seen kids his age before.

"Let's see how strong he is!" the hooded boy said and lunged at Naruto with a fist.

Surprised, Naruto barely dodged and jumped back. "Hey! What are you doing?!"

"Shut up and fight!"

The boy came at him once again. He struck out at Naruto's face with a fist. Not knowing what to do, Naruto brought up his arms and blocked clumsily.

"Stop!" Naruto cried out. But the boy wasn't finished. He spun and kicked outwards, smashing the young Nine-Tailed Clan member in the stomach. Naruto fell to his knees, clutching his stomach in pain.

The hooded boy raised an eyebrow. "Eh? What is this Shikamaru? I thought the members of the Nine-Tailed Clan were supposed to be strong!"

"He might be tired," the boy with his hair tied back commented with a shrug. "He did just get out of the Void."

"Move Kiba, let me try this runt," the girl said, stepping forward.

Seeing she was about to attack, Naruto squirmed up off the ground and quickly tried to defend himself. He had never fought before and had no idea what to do, so he swung his arms wildly trying to defend the girls punches. It wasn't long before one got through and sent him flying backwards.

The girl scoffed. "What trash."

Shikamaru cocked his head to the side inquisitively. "I don't think he's fought before, Tayuya."

Naruto slowly picked himself up off the ground, seething with anger. Why were they attacking him? What's wrong with them?!

"What?! That can't be right!" Kiba exclaimed. "Maybe he's hiding it. I'm gonna attack him again."

Naruto balled up his hands into fists and glared angrily at Kiba.

Kiba grinned. "Ha. The little tike is pissed! C'mon kid, show me what you got!"

Again, Kiba attacked. He threw several punches and kicks which Naruto struggled to block, getting hit twice.

Kiba stopped and threw his hands up. "This kid sucks. I don't think-"

The hooded boy's sentence cut off as Naruto slammed his fist into Kiba's cheek, sending the boy reeling.

"Ha! Idiot!" Tayuya said with a laugh.

Kiba wiped the blood from his lip and stared dangerously at the whiskered blond. "You're gonna pay for that..."

Naruto returned the stare in earnest with a fire of his own. "Back off! I'm warning you..." He wasn't going to die. Not here, not now, not after just getting out. He would do whatever it took to survive.

Kiba took a step forward but Shikamaru put a hand on his shoulder. "Cool it Kiba."

"Outta the way Shikamaru!" Kiba tried to shrug off the hand but Shikamaru's hand gripped tightly.

"I thought we were going to make him our servant? You wouldn't want to damage our new property would you?" Shikamaru said coolly.

"Hm...maybe..."

"Are you sure you want to take him in Shikamaru?" Tayuya asked. "The kids got guts, I'll give him that, but you're right. He ain't fought before."

"We can teach him. Everyone who says that Nine-Tailed Clan members are strong can't be wrong," Shikamaru said, eying the boy. "He's got good instincts for someone that's never fought before."

"He got in a lucky punch! That's all!" Kiba shouted, annoyed.

"Yeah, but he also blocked some of yours and Tayuya's attacks with no fight experience at all."

Naruto glowered at the youngsters before him. What were they talking about? Servant? He wasn't going to be serving anyone! He had just escaped the Void! He was free!

The three youngsters gathered in a huddle, conversing amongst themselves before nodding and turning back to Naruto. Shikamaru stepped forward. "I think we got off the wrong foot. To put it lightly. I'm Shikamaru."

Naruto eyed Shikamaru suspiciously but he did seem the most sensible out of the three. He had not attacked him and stopped that Kiba boy from harming him further. "...Naruto."

Shikamaru nodded and gestured to his companions. "This angry furball is Kiba."

"Hey!" Kiba shouted in protest at the insult.

"And the tomboy is Tayuya."

Tayuya glared. "Watch it Shikamaru..."

Shikamaru gestured helplessly at them and grinned at Naruto. "As you can see, they're a little quick to the trigger. Sorry about that. What I want to offer you is a deal. Become our servant and we'll help you out."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Servant? No way!"

"This ain't a request-"

"Quiet Kiba. Let me handle this," Shikamaru interrupted. "Let me explain your situation, Naruto. You just escaped the Void. You know no one, you have no where to go, and you know nothing about the outside world. Not only that, you're a lot better off with us than some clan or the army."

"Why would I be with a clan or an army?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "I don't think you get it. They prey on your kind. They're everywhere around the Chasm, scavenging for members of your clan to enslave."

"What?!" Naruto's eyes glowed with fury at Shikamaru's revelation. Here, his people had suffered endless generations in the hell of the Void and what did they get once they finally escaped? Enslavement?! He couldn't believe it. "Those...those bastards!"

"That's reality," Shikamaru said. "Worry about it later. What I have for you is a proposition. Come with us and we'll show you the ropes. We'll teach you about the world, how to survive, and even teach you how to fight. We got a nice little place in the City where you can sleep and eat."

Naruto thought over the words. This Shikamaru made some good points. But should he trust them? "...And what do you want in return?"

Shikamaru's grin twisted upwards. "You're smarter than you look. In exchange, you become a servant in our gang. You do what we tell you. If I tell you to jump, you jump. If I tell you to fight, you fight. No questions asked."

Naruto looked at Shikamaru. He seemed smart and looked like he knew what he was talking about. He glanced at Tayuya and Kiba. The girl appeared indifferent to the whole situation while Kiba was clearly miffed. He didn't particularly like either of them but Shikamaru's offer seemed genuine. What choice did he have? "...Alright. I'll come with you."

Shikamaru nodded expectantly. "Good. Now, come with us back to the City and I'll tell you what you need to know..."

* * *

The three youngsters walked through dense forest as they made their way to their destination.

"Do you know where you are?" Shikamaru asked their new companion.

Naruto shook his head. "I dunno."

"Man, he's dumb," Kiba commented.

"Duh Kiba, he's been in the Void all his life," Tayuya said, stating the obvious.

Naruto cast a glare towards the two but turned back to Shikamaru.

"You're in the Land of Fire," Shikamaru explained, "just outside The City of the Leaf, which is the capital of the Land of Fire."

"I see." Naruto pondered the words. The Chasm to the Void was located here. Does that mean they were the ones who created the Void?

"There are four other countries you should know about," Shikamaru continued. "The Land of Wind, the Land of Water, the Land of Lightning, and the Land of Earth. There are other countries but those are the biggest ones other than ours."

"Okay."

"You obviously wouldn't know but up until three years ago, everyone was at war with each other. Us and the Land of Water were fighting the Land of Wind, Earth, and Lightning. Many of the other smaller countries got involved too. Technically, it's not over. We're in cease fire right now. It's pretty tense between all the countries at the moment. No one knows when the fighting might start up again."

Naruto knew what war was of course but he wouldn't call what went on in the Void a war per se. Groups fought each other often over the precious oases but these were small skirmishes as everyone in the vacuum were vastly spread out. Settlers in particular were quite aggressive in taking possession of oases because where as Nomad groups just stayed for a couple days and left, Settlers established permanent encampments where they would stay for several years.

"Right now, it's really chaotic in the City of the Leaf. We got a lot of refugees from the smaller countries during the war and most of them came to the City. Tayuya was one of them."

"Really?" Naruto glanced at the girl.

Tayuya looked back with an annoyed scowl on her face. "What?"

"Uh, nothing..." Naruto muttered. 'Geez, she's prickly...'

"The refugees destabilized the City bad," Shikamaru continued once again. "Since they had no where to live, ghettos and slums started popping up everywhere. Crimes a big issue now. As a result, the Army of Fire started taking refugees from their homes and conscripting them. You'd think they'd worry about spies infiltrating but apparently they have some sort screening system that they say is full-proof. This means you need to watch out for any soldiers because they love taking in refugee kids."

Naruto frowned. He had imagined that life outside the Void would be paradise, full of peace and plentiful resources. But it appeared that they had their own problems. He was about to speak up when something ahead caught his eye.

In the distance, creeping over the canopy of the trees, was a mountain range where two faces were embedded. They were intricately carved with marvelous precision and they must be huge to be able to be seen from this far.

"Wow, cool!" Naruto said excitedly. "What's that?"

"That's the Birth of Flames monument. The one on the left is Hashirama Senju. He's known as the Hokage and he's the leader of the Land of Fire. His younger brother is on the right: Tobirama Senju. He's the General of Fire, commander of the Army of Fire. The two of them founded the City of the Leaf and brought together the Land of Fire."

As they got closer and closer to the monument, the tops of gigantic buildings of concrete and wood revealed themselves. Pillars of smoke rose in the midst of the skyscrapers and as they got closer, the buildings completely dwarfed the surrounding forest. Naruto hadn't realize just how massive they were. He felt his heart stop. It was incredible. He had never seen anything like it. Throughout his young life, he had come into contact with various small nomad groups with no more than twenty, and the most they built were small tents. But this...this was just colossal. He wondered how many people lived here.

"And that is the City of the Leaf," Shikamaru said.

"Whoa..." Naruto murmured in awe.

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Bumpkin."

"Welcome to the City, Naruto," Shikamaru said with a grin.

* * *

In a large chamber, a man in the center floated in the air and had his legs crossed in the lotus position. The man's white silk kimono was decorated with complex gold markings that ran along the hems and rims. A metal skull cap lay atop of the man's long black hair and the tubes protruded out of it, hooking up to a gigantic machanical sphere above. He had his eyes closed and appeared deep in thought.

The large doors to the room opened and a man stepped inside. He was garbed in white robes, wearing a triangular hat with the symbol of a flame in the center. The man was flanked by two others. On the left of him was a man with spiky white hair and solid blue armor. To the right was one in white armor who had dark brown pointed hair and a short, sharp beard on his chin.

"Hiashi," the robed one address the man in the kimono, "I am here. I am told you had a vision of grand importance you wished to tell me of?"

Hiashi slowly opened his solid pale blue eyes. These were the eyes of the Byakugan, a power that afflicted the man with distant visions of the future. "Yes, Lord Hokage..."

"What is it? Is it about the Dark Reaper your brother prophesied of?" Hashirama Senju, the Hokage, asked.

"We still do not know if our spy's information is accurate," said the man in blue armor. "It could easily be a fake prophecy created to mislead us, Brother."

"I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it, Lord General," cautioned the bearded man. "That information came from one of Danzo's Root ninja. His spies are quite dependable."

"Do not rely on Danzo, Hiruzen," the General of Fire, Tobirama Senju, said with narrowed his eyes. "Danzo, while his methods are...effective...his motivations and intentions can be suspect at times."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Lieutenant General of Fire, frowned. "Danzo is a man who will always put the nation before himself. I trust him."

Hashirama held up his hands with a smile. "Now, now, you two. Talk of such things at another time. The Sage of Destiny has had an important vision. Let us listen. Go on Hiashi, tell us what you saw."

The Sage nodded. "As you wish. I foresee a great figure emerging in the coming times and the threads of destiny are tangled deeply around him. The thread he chooses to untangle will change the landscape of our world in ways that we cannot imagine."

The Hokage cupped his chin ponderously. "Interesting."

"What does he look like?" Tobirama asked.

Hiashi shook his head. "He is showered in an enormous light that covers his figure. I cannot tell."

"Do you know how he ties in with the Dark Reaper?" Hashirama questioned.

Hiashi shook his head. "I have never seen the Dark Reaper. The paths that connect to darkness are hidden to me. All I can I see is many threads of light ending abruptly, which may be this Dark Reaper."

"If only the Land of Moons hadn't kidnapped your brother from us," Tobirama muttered angrily.

"True," Hiruzen acknowledged. "With the full prophecy of the Sage of Fate, it might be possible to decipher these visions. Unfortunately, he is in the hands of the Uchiha Clan and, according to our sources, they have only allowed the Land of Earth to see him. They would never allow us access to Hizashi, despite the cease fire, due to our history with them."

Hashirama shook his head, his eyes somber. "The Uchihas play a dangerous game. If this Dark Reaper prophecy is true, the world may truly be in grave danger..."


	2. Chapter 2

The Hope of the Void

Chapter 2

* * *

"Welcome to our humble little abode," Shikamaru said.

"Ruff! Ruff!" A small dog with white fur barked immediately at their entrance and jumped into Kiba's arm.

Kiba smiled and scratched the dog's head. "Akamaru! Did you miss us?"

"Ruff!"

Naruto stared it curiously. He had seen deer, birds, and small rodents on oases before but never this. "What's that?"

Kiba stared at Naruto like he had just said the most ridiculous thing ever. "Are you serious?! You've never seen a _dog_ before?"

"Nope!"

Naruto gazed at the dog who suddenly noticed his presence and looked back, intrigued. The blond haired boy hesitantly approached the dog with his held out, wanting to touch it. Akamaru sniffed at his hand and gave out a little "ruff" before licking Naruto's hand causing him to smile.

"Hey, hands off!" Kiba barked.

Tayuya looked at the interaction oddly. "Weird. That dumb dog usually doesn't like strangers."

"I think he just didn't like _you,_ Tayuya," Shikamaru quipped.

"Whatever."

Kiba put the dog down and Naruto followed the trio inside, looking around. It was a dirty, messy place with clutter all around. The shack had two stories. The second "floor" was a simple elevated platform made out of scrap metal and wood. It had a ladder leading up to it and at the top there were two futons and a lamp. Below it was a torn up couch in center of the household. The few lights that the shack was equipped with flickered on and off and dimly lit the area. Behind the couch were piles of scrolls and books unscrupulously scattered on the floor while on the other end was a refrigerator covered in dents, a tiny microwave, an electric fan, and a small electricity generator that hummed quietly.

Naruto, of course, had no idea what half the stuff in there was so, naturally, he was impressed. "Wow, cool! How are those things shining light?"

The trio's jaws collectively dropped.

"Is this kid serious?" Tayuya wondered.

Shikamaru commented sardonically, "Bumpkin does not even begin to describe his level of ignorance."

"I'll say..." Tayuya agreed.

"Wait 'till he sees the fridge," Kiba said.

"Anyways, I've got to get going guys." Shikamaru headed for the door and waved. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Tayuya and Kiba nodded while Naruto looked questioningly at him.

"Alright, see ya man," Kiba said, casting a wave.

"Later," Tayuya motioned halfheartedly.

After Shikamaru left, Naruto asked, "Where's he going? Doesn't he live here?"

"Nope. Brainiac's a clan kid," Tayuya explained. "He lives further in the city with the rest of the Nara clan."

"Yeah. Only reason he hangs out with us is 'cuz he finds clan life 'bothersome'," Kiba added.

"Oh," Naruto said in a disappointed tone. Now he was stuck with these two jerks.

Tayuya grabbed a random scroll off the ground, laid down on the couch like it was a bed, and began reading it. Meanwhile Kiba headed to the fridge, his stomach calling him. As Kiba microwaved a cup of ramen and Tayuya continued reading, Naruto frowned, realizing that the two were completely ignoring him. He made his way over to Kiba.

"What's that?" Naruto said, pointing the microwave which held the ramen in it.

"A microwave," Kiba replied.

"What's it do?"

"Heats stuff up."

"Neat! Like a fire?"

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Yes, like a fire."

Naruto checked out the fridge, opening it. To his surprise, a cool breeze brushed over skin. "Wow!" He turned excitedly to Kiba. "Is this like the opposite of a microwave?"

"Can you shut up please?" the hooded boy growled. "You're getting on my nerves."

A miffed expression crossed Naruto's features. 'Jerk...' He moved along to Tayuya, wondering what scroll she was reading. Naruto did know how to read, he had learned from the Nomad tribes he had traveled with.

"Watcha reading?" Naruto asked.

Tayuya cast the boy an annoyed look. "Go away."

"C'mon, I wanna know!"

"...I'm reading a genjutsu scroll."

Naruto looked befuddled. "What's genjutsu?"

"You are unbelievedly dumb," Tayuya stated bluntly. "Kiba, tell him."

Kiba waved his hand lazily. "Eating."

Tayuya sighed. "Alright, I'm gonna tell you but then you gotta shut up for the rest of the night."

"Geez, okay."

Tayuya began explaining what genjutsu was which, due to Naruto constantly asking questions, lead to her explaining taijutsu and ninjutsu, much to her exasperation. At the end of it, Naruto still had a baffled look on his face.

"I don't get it. How do you use chakra-"

Tayuya threw the scroll to the ground and viciously grabbed Naruto collar, pulling him close to her. Her eyes pierced through Naruto with a threatening gaze. "I swear, if you say one more thing I'm gonna kill you."

Sweat formed on Naruto's forehead. "O-Okay."

"Dude, just check out those piles over there," Kiba said, now finished with his ramen. "Shikamaru got us a bunch of books and scrolls on ninja techniques."

"Really?! Awesome!" Naruto's voice was filled with an eager energy.

"Tayuya, I'm gonna pass out," Kiba said as he climbed the ladder.

"Fine," Tayuya replied.

"Oh yeah, where do I sleep?" Naruto asked.

"The couch," Kiba said. "There's a blanket around here somewhere."

"Okay!" Naruto said cheerfully. He didn't mind. He'd never slept on anything padded before.

Naruto spent the rest of night reading up the various ninja techniques, learning the basics such as chakra control, the types of ninja weapons, how to perform seals, and what not. It was interesting at first but soon became tedious as he didn't particularly enjoy reading. Unfortunately, he didn't have a choice because he _really_ didn't want to piss off Tayuya again.

When Tayuya went to bed, Naruto searched around the cluttered shack for the blanket Kiba had mentioned and eventually found it. It was dirty but Naruto was used to such things. You didn't exactly do your laundry often in the Void. He huddled up against the couch's pillows. This was the first time in a long time he would be sleeping with other people. While he didn't really like Kiba or Tayuya, it felt strangely comforting knowing they were there. He wouldn't miss the solitude of the Void. He soon fell asleep.

* * *

Tayuya and Kiba, with Akamaru sitting atop of his head, lead Naruto through the slums and the young boy looked around in wide-eyed with wonder. The slums were packed with shacks made of scrap metal. They were piled on top of one another, going several stories high. Beggars and bums filled the sidewalks and there were various shops selling everything from left over food to second-hand electronics. The smell of the slums made Naruto pinch his nose. Looking down, Naruto guessed it must be from the grime and trash that cluttered the streets. There was so much rubbish that the street drains and basins were completely clogged and overflowing with debris.

"It smells terrible here!" Naruto commented.

"You'll get used to it," Tayuya said.

"Is it like this everywhere?"

Kiba shook his head. "Nah, only on the outer rim of the city. Further in, where all the clans live, it's way cleaner. That's where all the rich folks live. It's hard to get in there though. Ever since the refugees started showing up, the army started guarding the entrances and screening everyone. If you don't got an official pass, you ain't getting in."

It sounded like Kiba's been in the City for a while, Naruto thought. "You're not a refugee Kiba?" he asked.

"No."

"Then where's your clan?"

Kiba stopped in his tracks. Because Naruto was behind him, he couldn't see Kiba's face. Naruto looked at him curiously.

"They're..." Kiba trailed off, his voice sounding strange. "...I don't want to talk about it."

Tayuya glanced back at the two. "We're almost there."

Naruto wondered what that was about.

A short while later, they were inside an alleyway, huddled together.

"Alright, this should be easier with the bumpkin here," Tayuya said.

"Quit calling me that!"

Kiba nodded, ignoring the whiskered boy. "Yeah. That fat ass shopkeeper doesn't know Naruto's face. Okay, listen, Naruto, go inside that store right over there. Start picking stuff up and looking at it."

Naruto looked confused. "Uh, okay. Why?"

"Don't worry about it," Kiba said. "Let's go Tayuya."

"Don't mess this up kid!" Tayuya said, casting a glare over her shoulder. Her, Kiba, and Akamaru jumped up onto the roof of the shacks and disappeared, leaving a bewildered Naruto.

"I don't get it. Mess what up?" Shrugging, he went inside.

The shop inside was filled with an assortment of equipment and tools that Naruto had never seen before. The shopkeeper, who was reading a newspaper, eyed Naruto as he entered but the young boy didn't notice. As he looked around the shop, the Nine-Tailed clan member's eyes lit up as he spotted something. In the corner, next to several appliances, was a small TV that was showing a movie.

Dazzled, Naruto watched TV in amazement. He was hypnotized.

"Hey, stupid!" he heard Tayuya say.

He looked around and became perplexed as he didn't see her.

"Up here!"

Naruto looked up and a pair of annoyed gazes peeking out of an opened vent in ceiling.

"Hurry up and pick some stuff up!" Kiba whispered.

"Oh, right!" Naruto spent the next several minutes going around the store, picking up various items and observing them, becoming genuinely interested.

"Hey kid, are you going to buy something or what?" the shopkeeper growled, putting down his newspaper.

"Huh? Oh, uh...no?"

"What? Then get out of here!" The rotund man got off his stool and made his way over to a panicky Naruto. Unbeknownst to them, Kiba and Tayuya snuck inside the back of the store in the mean time. They jumped down and immediately went to the gas cans, picking up several. Just as the shopkeeper was about to approach Naruto, he noticed the two thieves out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey, what the hell! You kids again!" He ran towards them as the two jumped on the nearby table and up out of the vent. Angrily, the shopkeeper whipped around to Naruto. "Were you a part this you punk?!"

Naruto backed up fearfully, unsure of what to do. "Uhh..."

The shopkeeper lunged forward to grab Naruto but the boy jumped back and quickly headed to the exit.

"Come back here!"

Once outside, Naruto frantically looked around for Tayuya and Kiba.

"Let's go dumbass!" Tayuya shouted from somewhere. Naruto looked up and spotted the two thieves on the third level floor of shacks.

"Come on!" Kiba said before taking off, Tayuya following suit.

"Hey, wait for me!" Naruto yelled out, leaping up onto the roofs.

The shopkeeper burst out of the store, a broom in his hand. "Hey you punks! Come back here!"

Kiba turned around and grinned while Tayuya flipped off the fat man. Within moments, the shopkeeper lost sight of the youngsters and the thieves got away with their loot.

* * *

Back at their home shack, Naruto was angry. "What the hell! You didn't tell me you guys were stealing!"

Tayuya shrugged. "So?"

Naruto looked at her incredulously. "So?! Stealing is bad!"

"We do what we gotta do to survive, bumpkin," Kiba said. "We needed the gas for our generator."

"But...but...it's wrong!" Naruto protested.

"Just shut up and do what your told, servant," Kiba said casually.

Naruto glared but said no more.

"Time to go train. C'mon."

* * *

The trio went outside the city to their usual training ground. It was a small clearing with a couple trees here and there. The trees were scared with markings from their previous practice sessions. Tayuya, Kiba, and Shikamaru often came here to improve their skills. Tayuya and Kiba started off by fighting one another while Naruto practiced throwing some kunai they had lent him at a tree. After a while, Naruto went over to the two.

"Hey, how about you guys fight me?"

Kiba and Tayuya exchanged glances.

"Why bother? You can't fight worth shit," Tayuya commented.

"But how else am I gonna improve?"

"You fight him, Tayuya. I need to practice my formations with Akamaru," Kiba said.

"...Whatever. Let's go kid." Tayuya moved to Naruto and got in a fighting stance.

"I'm pretty sure we're about the same age," Naruto muttered. Naruto got into his own stance. Tayuya dashed at him and launched several attacks. As before, Naruto struggled to block them. After a bit though, he was becoming more successful despite his terrible economy in movement. They fought for several more minutes before Tayuya downed him. She hadn't broken a sweat.

Tayuya watched Naruto as he got up off the ground. "That it?"

A determined look lit up within Naruto's eyes. "No! Again!"

She rolled her eyes.

They fought several more times, each with the same result.

Tayuya yawned. "Kiba, you take over."

"Alright," Kiba said. He made his way over to Naruto. "I'll go easy on you and fight without Akamaru."

"Let's do it!" Naruto said.

Their fight ended up much the same way as with Tayuya. Though Naruto getting used to blocking and executing simple attacks, the gap between their skill levels was huge.

An hour passed. Tayuya and Kiba were now breathing heavily. They had been taking turns fighting Naruto over the past sixty minutes. Naruto had yet to win.

"Again!" Naruto shouted once more. His face and body was heavily bruised up and his breathing was haggard but there was fire in his eyes. Some of his attacks were now getting through and though he lost each spar, he was lasting longer.

Tayuya gazed at Naruto in grudging amazement. "How the hell? Aren't you tired yet?!" Though she didn't want to admit it, the boy was getting better and had amazing stamina.

"No!" Naruto got into a fighting stance once again. The years in the Void had gifted the whiskered boy with amazing endurance. In a place where rest meant slowly succumbing into certain death, it was crucial to continue climbing the Void for as long as possible.

Kiba stepped forward, an angry look on his face. "That's it! I'm done going easy on you! Akamaru, come boy!"

"Ruff!" Understanding his master, the small white dog rushed to Kiba's side.

Kiba formed several hand signs and called out, " _Jujin Bunshin_!"

The dog disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared as a clone of the hooded youngster. The two Kibas got down all fours and growled at Naruto. " _Shikyaku no Jutsu_!" A blue chakra began emitting from their bodies.

Naruto was amazed at technique until he realized he would have to go up against them. "Hey! You're cheating!"

"Shut up!" the feral boy replied. "You're going down for good this time, loser! Akamaru, let's do it!"

The two Kibas rushed at Naruto at a stunning pace. Naruto gritted his teeth and prepared himself. Just as they were about to pounce, someone called out, " _Kagemane no Jutsu_!"

The duo of Kibas halted mid-motion causing Naruto to stare in surprise. "Huh?"

Kiba, his body frozen, moved his eyes to follow the long shadow underneath him and towards his captor. "What the hell Shikamaru!"

The young Nara stepped out from between the trees, grinning. "Getting a little excited over just fighting a bumpkin, aren't you Kiba?"

"Wow! How'd you do that?" Naruto asked.

"Magic," Shikamaru coolly replied.

"It's the signature technique of Nara clan," Tayuya explained. "It allows Shikamaru to stand back like a pussy and control his opponents."

"Cool!" Naruto said, stars in his eyes.

"Hey now. Coming from a genjutsu user, that's a laugh," Shikamaru countered. He turned to Kiba, releasing the jutsu, and asked, "So how exactly did a complete amateur manage to rile you up enough to use ninjutsu, Kiba?"

Kiba's pride forced him to look away, his eyes angry and annoyed. "I just felt like showing him how a real ninja fights, that's all."

"Uh huh."

Naruto eagerly went over to Shikamaru, jumping with excitement. "Hey, can you show me how to do that?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Sorry, it's a secret clan technique."

"Aww man."

Tayuya scoffed. "As if an idiot like you could learn an advanced jutsu like that."

"Hey!" Naruto glared before turning back to Shikamaru. "Can you teach me anything?"

Shikamaru sighed. "So bothersome...alright, let's teach him some basic ninjutsu," Shikamaru offered.

"Really? Yay!" Naruto cheered.

* * *

A row of ninjas of various ages and sexes lined the sides of the chamber. The ninjas stood in an formal attentive position, their legs standing in a V shape with their hands clasped behind their backs. Various scrolls and maps lined the walls and at the front was a symbol of a circle cut into two crescents. The top half was red and the bottom was white. In front of the large symbol sat a man with long black hair that jutted out in spikes and bangs covered one half of his face. The heavy armor he wore was colored half red and half white and his arms were crossed. His eyes belayed no emotion and expression imparted a dark strength within it.

All of them had the same eyes: red irises with three black tailed circles inside them.

Apart from the ninja that lined the walls, a trio of younger ninja crouched down in front of the armored man, bowing their heads to him.

The long haired man at the front spoke with a dominant, forceful voice. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lord Madara!" immediately replied the three ninja.

Madara Uchiha, leader of the Uchiha clan and creator of the Land of Moons, stared at them in silence for a moment. The young ninjas felt his gaze and shook nervously. Finally, Madara commanded, "Go."

The three ninjas vanished instantly.

One of the older ninja turned to Madara. "Lord Madara, are you sure about this?"

Madara turned his emotionless eyes to the ninja and gazed at him a with a frightening calm. "You question me?"

The ninja immediately backed up, fear clearly in his eyes. "N-No, o-of course not! I-I only wish to comment that p-perhaps they are too young for a mission of such importance."

Madara said nothing for a moment. The surrounding ninjas exchanged nervous glances. Madara's words came gradually and carried a heavy weight. "I will forgive your lack of intelligence and tell you why I chose to send those three young ones."

The fearful ninja let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"All of the spies we have sent into City of the Leaf have failed. Do you know why?"

The ninjas looked around at each other.

Madara did not wait for answer. "Because it's too obvious. It is only natural that Hashirama's forces are ready for such an obvious intrusion. I will give him that much credit." Then, a cruel grin flashed from Madara's lips. "But he has one glaring weakness. He will accept our envoy into the City of the Leaf for the same reason he yielded the very lands we stand on now. That being: his overwhelming desire for peace. Hashirama cannot refuse an opportunity to end the feud between the Senjus and the Uchihas."

"But my Lord, what if they're caught?"

"Then they die and we have lost three failures to the Uchiha clan."

At that statement, one of the ninjas stiffened up. This did not go unnoticed by the Lord of the Uchiha. Madara turned to the ninja. "This does not sit well with you?"

The ninja's eyes did not meet Madara's scrutiny but he did not wilt in fear like the other one who had spoken up.

Before the ninja could respond, Madara said, "Fear not, Itachi. Your younger brother is a capable ninja who has a sterling future ahead of him. He will not fail me."

Itachi bowed his head. "...Yes, Lord Madara."

* * *

 _Jujin Bunshin -_ Beast Human Clone

 _Shikyaku no Jutsu -_ Four Legs Technique

 _Kagemane no Jutsu -_ Shadow Imitation Technique


End file.
